Nawaz Sharif's indictment in accountability court over corruption cases deferred to October 9: Pakistan Media

Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif's indictment in accountability court over corruption cases was on Monday deferred to October 9, Pakistan Media reported. 

Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau was scheduled to indict former prime minister in the accountability court in three corruption and money laundering cases involving his family’s offshore properties on Monday.

The reports in local media say that the accountability court has also issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Sharif's children & son-in-law.

Ousted Pakistan prime minister was expected to be present during his indictment proceedings in the court in Islamabad, his party said.

“Mr Sharif is not leaving for London and he will attend indictment proceedings of accountability court in Islamabad on Monday against him. However, his children will not appear before the court,” the ruling PML-N had said on Sunday.  

“Nawaz Sharif has decided to appear before the court in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references in order to expose the targeted trial,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said and added justice is being “compromised” in the case.

The minister also said Sharif’s children - Hassan, Hussain and Maryam and son-in-law Safdar will not come from London to appear in the court to face the graft cases. 

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“Since Mr Sharif’s children are busy looking after their mother (Kulsoom Nawaz) they are unlikely to appear in the accountability court on Monday,” the minister said, adding the court should have given more time for indictment.

The court has already issued bailable warrants for Hassan, Hussain, Maryam, and Safdar. The accountability court may issue non-bailable arrest warrants for the suspects for skipping the proceedings for the third consecutive time.  

During his first appearance in the accountability court on September 26 in connection with three corruption references filed by the NAB against him and his family members, it declined Sharif’s request for exemption from personal attendance.

The Supreme Court had disqualified Sharif, 67, as prime minister on July 28 in the Panama Papers case and ordered the NAB to file corruption and money laundering references against the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the light of the Joint Investigation Team’s report.  

Dar has already been indicted in the reference against him for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.

Sharif’s wife Kulsoom has undergone three successful surgeries for throat cancer in London and her condition is stated to be stable.Sharif is likely to leave for London to be with his wife on October 5. 

(With inputs from PTI)